Potter Family
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: A drabble collection (a five-shot) of different Potter family moments within the next-gen (including Teddy as an honorary Potter). [5/5] Harry and Teddy have a disagreement.
1. Quarrel

**Title:** Quarrel  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** James Sirius, Albus Severus  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 808  
 **Summary:** James and Albus quarrel.

 **Notes:**

 **Golden Snitch:** Halloween Event – Trick or Treat Review/Drabble Tag – For Wolf – Write a James and Albus Potter brother bonding fic with the prompt: (dialogue) "You could get away with murder."

 **Crystals, Gemstones & Astrology: **Blue Lace Agate/Intermediate – Write about and resolve a quarrel between family members. (600-2,500 words)

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Speed Drabble - cactus, dancing, rain

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge:** E4. Write a collection of at least 5 drabbles (300-1,000 words) with a specific theme (Potter family moments in the next-gen)

* * *

Nine-year-old Albus Severus Potter was laying on the floor. Papers were scattered around him as well as his many markers. It was raining outside, so the family was unfortunately stuck indoors for the very long, and very boring, day.

He could hear Lily whining to their mom about wanting to go dancing in the rain, but he long ago learned to tune out his little sister when she was in one of her moods.

He wasn't sure where James was, and he didn't care. He was too busy with his picture—the fourth one he had drawn today. It was of a cactus that had kids holdings hands on each side of it.

He put down the purple marker, got up on his knees, and reached for the yellow marker. Suddenly, James came running into the room, and he ran right over his current drawing, crinkling and tearing it.

Albus jumped up, his hands clenching into small fists at his side. "James! Look at what you did!"

James looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's the big deal? It's just a stupid picture!"

Albus huffed. "It was _my_ stupid picture so I care. I'm telling on you."

He ran out of the room with James on his heels. He found his mom and Lily. He grabbed her arm. "Mom, James ruined my picture."

Ginny Weasley looked tired as she fussed over Lily. "Albus, not now."

"But Mom—"

"Albus!" Ginny interrupted. "You're old enough. You can work through your problems with your brother by yourself." She took Lily's hand and walked away from the boys.

Albus whirled around and glared at a smirking James. "You could get away with murder."

He dusted some imaginary lint off of himself. "It pays to be the oldest _and_ the favorite."

"You are not the favorite. Mom and Dad don't have _any_ favorites."

James laughed. "You honestly believe that? Lily's special because she's the only girl and the baby. I'm the oldest. And what are you? Just the middle child who only likes reading and drawing. Who doesn't like games or Quidditch or anything _fun._ Who's so easy to forget."

Despite himself, Albus felt himself getting ready to cry. He didn't want James to see how much the words hurt, so he turned and ran away.

He ran into his room and slammed the door behind him.

"No slamming doors!" Ginny yelled from somewhere else in the house.

" _That_ she cares about," Albus muttered mutinously.

Tears leaked out of his eyes. He knew he was different from his brother and sister. He wasn't outgoing like James, and he couldn't charm strangers like Lily. He enjoyed being by himself, and sometimes, it felt like he didn't fit in with his family because of it.

And for James to point the truth out, to make him feel like he didn't belong...

Albus laid down on his bed, facing the wall as more tears fell.

Weren't big brothers supposed to protect? How could James make Albus feel so low?

The bedroom door opened, but Albus didn't look towards it. The bed shifted under some added weight. "I'm sorry."

The soft murmur didn't surprise Albus, but he wasn't ready to forgive just yet.

"You're not a nothing. You're someone special, Al. I shouldn't have said you're easy to forget because that's so far from the truth."

Albus finally turned on his other side and stared at James. "Then why did you say it?"

"You were annoying me about a stupid picture, and I guess I thought it would be funny. When I saw how hurt you were, though..." he swallowed, and Albus was surprised to see James's cheeks were wet with his own tears. "Well, it wasn't funny."

Albus sat up. "I know I'm different from you and Lily. You and Lily will both probably be in Gryffindor, and I can't imagine myself going into the house of the brave."

"You being different isn't a bad thing," James argued. "In fact, it's what makes you special so you can never be forgotten."

Albus stared at his bedspread. "Are you really the favorite?"

James placed a hand on Albus's shoulder. "Of course not. You were right when you said Mom and Dad have no favorites. They love all of us equally. And the truth of the matter is, if they did have a favorite, it would probably be you."

Albus looked up in surprise. "Really? Why?"

James grinned. "You're easier to deal with because you barely get into any trouble."

Albus smiled. "But I'm not as fun as you."

"Yeah you are. Just in a different way." There was silence for a moment. "So, are we good?"

Albus smiled and nodded. "We're good."

James pulled Albus into a one-armed hug, and Albus breathed in the familiar scent of James, happy that they were once again okay.


	2. Why?

**Title:** Why?  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Lily Luna, James Sirius, Albus Severus, Ginny  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 715  
 **Summary:** Lily keeps asking why.

 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Potions - Option 1 - Write about a person who wants to know the "why" behind everything.

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge:** E4. Write a collection of at least 5 drabbles (300-1,000 words) with a specific theme (Potter family moments in the next-gen)

* * *

Lily looked up at one of her big brothers. "James, why do you get to go school, and Albus and I don't."

James rolled his eyes, but he patiently answered the question. Because I'm fourteen, and you're still too little."

"Why am I too little?" she asked.

James took a deep breath, telling himself she didn't mean to ask stupid questions. "Because you were born in a later year, and you're not allowed to go to Hogwarts until you're eleven."

Lily pouted. "Fine, I'm not allowed to go to school, but why don't you write to me when you're at Hogwarts? Don't you miss me?"

James placed a hand on his forehead and massaged an oncoming headache. "I send a letter to our mum and dad every couple of weeks, but the letter is meant to be shared with you and Albus as well."

"But I want more own letter," Lily whined petulantly.

James sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll try to send you a personal letter every now and then, but don't expect one every time."

"Okay," Lily happily chirped, temporarily appeased. She paused for a moment and opened her mouth, probably to ask another question.

James saw it, and quickly asked, "Do you want to play a game of Gobstones?"

Lily, officially distracted, nodded her head happily.

James didn't really enjoy Gobstones, but it was so much better then fending off Lily's constant questions.

* * *

Lily tip-toed into her daddy's office. She stood in front of his large desk and blinked at the picture before her. His arms were folded on his desk, and his head rested on them. She crept around the desk to stare at his face and saw his eyes were closed.

She tilted her head and thought about whether she should wake him up. Before she can decide, though, her mum popped in and quickly lifted Lily, carrying her out of the room.

"Come on, Sweetie. Want to help me bake some cookies?" Ginny asked as she placed Lily on the ground in the kitchen.

Lily, curious, about what she had just seen, asked, "Mum, why is Daddy sleeping at his desk?"

She smiled, but it seemed off to Lily's young eyes. "Daddy is very tired."

"Why doesn't he sleep at night?"

"Sometimes, Daddy has nightmares, and it keeps him up when all good little girls and boys are asleep."

"Why does Daddy have nightmares?"

Ginny sighed. "Lily, a long time ago, your daddy saw some bad things, and they still sometimes scare him when he closes his eyes."

Lily wanted to cry. Her big, strong daddy was scared. "Will Daddy ever stop having nightmares?"

Ginny brushed a strand of hair out of Lily's eyes. "I'm not sure, but I hope one day, he will no longer have nightmares."

Lily nodded, but she couldn't stop thinking about her strong daddy having nightmares. And that night, when it was time for her to go to bed, she gave her daddy an extra strong hug, and two kisses on the cheek instead of one. Maybe they would help her daddy sleep well that night.

Lily hoped so.

* * *

Thirteen-year-old Lily waited for Albus under the tree that stood by the Black Lake. It was where they always hung out at school.

When Albus approached, she immediately launched into the question that had been plaguing her for the last couple of days. "Why were you kissing Scorpius Malfoy?"

Albus blushed. "You saw that?"

Lily nodded and crossed her arms as she waited for an answer.

Albus shyly shuffled his feet. "I like Scorpius."

"In the way Teddy likes Victoire?"

Albus nodded.

"Why haven't you told Mum and Dad?"

"I don't know how they'd feel about me not only like a Malfoy in that way, but also a boy," Albus quietly admitted.

Lily rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. Mum and Dad are two of the most open-minded parents there are. They won't care about either, as long as you're happy."

"Why are you so sure about that?" Albus asked.

"Because I'm Lily Luna Potter, and I know everything," she arrogantly joked.

Her plan worked though because Albus began laughing.

Lily nodded to herself. She hoped she was nearby when James found out about Albus and Scorpius. She was sure James's reaction would be hilarious.


	3. Away from James

**Title:** Away from James  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** James Sirius, Albus Severus  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 828  
 **Summary:** Albus knows it's wrong, but he can't help himself.

 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Advent Calendar - For Grace (WolfWinks)

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Astronomy - Task 2 - Write about a brother who jealously protects his sibling(s) from suitors.

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge:** E4. Write a collection of at least 5 drabbles (300-1,000 words) with a specific theme (Potter family moments in the next-gen)

* * *

Albus stared at the girl before him. "You're here to see James?" he asked.

The girl, _Crystal_ , nodded. She twirled perfect curly chestnut hair around an index finger. "Yes. I'm hoping to ask him on a date."

Albus frowned. "Really? Wow, that's a bad idea."

Crystal stopped playing with her hair and stared incredulously at Albus. "First of all, what business is it of yours? Second of all, why is it a bad idea?"

"James's current girlfriend, Ashley, has a jealous streak. The last girl that hit on James ended up with green hair for two weeks."

Crystal's eyes widened and she patted her hair, looking at it as if to assure herself it was still a shiny brown color. "I think I'm going to go."

Albus nodded. "You should do that." With that, he closed the door with a smile of satisfaction on his face. He walked through the house and found James laying on his bed, reading a Quidditch magazine. "Hey, James. Want to play some chess?"

James put the magazine down. "Well, I'm waiting for Crystal to show up. I heard that she was planning to ask me out on a date. _Finally_. But, I guess we can play while I wait."

Albus pushed down the guilt he felt and nodded happily. He was doing the right thing. Crystal wasn't good enough for James.

* * *

Albus went up to Sasha Zabini. "Hey, Sasha."

"Albus, right? James's little brother."

Albus nodded.

"What can I do for you?"

Albus swallowed. He felt a bit bad about what he was about to do because he knew how much James liked her, but it had to be done. "Well, I know you have a date with James tonight, and he hates to do this, but he has to cancel."

She frowned. "Cancel. Why?"

"He's in bed, sick. That's why I'm telling you. He can't even get out of bed to do it himself."

Sasha looked worried. "Will he be okay?"

Albus nodded. "He should be. He just needs to stay in bed and rest. I'm taking care of him, but can you stay away? He shouldn't be bothered or excited in any way."

Sasha tilted her head. "Of course I'll stay away. All I want is for him to get better."

She seemed so genuinely nice that the guilt monster threatened to come up and swallow him whole, but he kept a smile on his face as he turned and walked away.

And that night, he _happened_ to come across James standing in front of the Great Hall, waiting for his date. "James, what's going on?"

James looked so heartbroken. "Sasha is 45 minutes late for our date. I'm getting the feeling she's not coming."

Albus bit his bottom lip. "Well, I kind of saw her hanging out with some Ravenclaw guy. Don't know his name."

James's eyes widened. "I guess she found someone she liked better. Why am I not surprised? She definitely isn't the first girl to blow me off."

"You want to hang out? Maybe play Exploding Snap or Gobstones?"

James shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll just go to bed. Al, you should get back to the Slytherin Common room."

"Right," Albus muttered. He watched as his older brother walked away with slumped shoulders, and the guilt monster reared its ugly head once again.

That night, as Albus laid in bed, he thought about everything he did to wreck James's blossoming relationships. When James mentioned all of the girls that blew him off, Albus knew it was his fault. He drove those girls away, either with lies or by being as bratty as possible.

Once again, James had his heart broken, and it was Albus's fault

That was it! He was done being the reason James was hurt. Tomorrow, he would confess everything.

The next day, Albus haltingly told James everything he did. He told James about Crystal and Sasha, and all of the other girls he drove away without James's knowledge.

James asked one question. "Why?"

Albus pushed back the tears. "Well, one day, you'll fall in love and get married. And you won't ever have any time for me. You'll love the girl more than you love me, and—"

He was cut off when James pulled him into a hard hug. "Al, listen to what I'm about to say." He pulled back and held Albus at arms' length. He stared into green eyes that were just like their dad's. "One day, I will fall in love and get married. But guess what? So will you. And no matter how many other people we have in our lives, I will always love you because you'll always be my little brother. And no girl can ever take your place in my heart. Do you understand?"

Albus nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you."

And James did. It was what brothers did. They forgave each other when mistakes were made out of jealousy and fear.


	4. Albus' Problem

**Title:** Albus' Problem  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** James Sirius, Albus Severus, Lily Luna  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 378  
 **Summary:** James is in charge.

 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry:** January Event - Appreciate a Dragon Day - 15. Include the Hogwarts Motto into a story for means other than using it as the Hogwarts Motto. ("Never tickle a sleeping dragon.")

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge:** E4. Write a collection of at least 5 drabbles (300-1,000 words) with a specific theme (Potter family moments in the next-gen)

* * *

Albus and Lily peeked around the corner. They looked at their sleeping mother.

It wasn't often that she slept during the day, but she probably thought James was old enough at thirteen to keep an eye on his brother and sister with nothing bad happening.

"Do you think we should wake her?" Lily whispered.

Albus thought about what happened in the past when their mother was abruptly woken up. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea." He thought about Hogwarts' motto and knew it could definitely be applied to this particular situation. With a wise, all-knowing look, he said, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "What does that mean?"

A hand grabbed the back of their shirts and roughly pulled them away from their parents' bedroom.

They squealed, and it was a miracle that their mother didn't wake up at the commotion.

When they were far enough away from the bedroom, they turned around and were faced with a frowning James. "It means you don't want to know what happens if you disturb a sleeping beast."

Lily glared at Albus. "I'm going to tell Mum you called her a beast," she threatened.

"I didn't mean it like that," Albus argued.

Lily opened her mouth, but James interrupted her. "Lily, it can mean someone is bad-tempered if they're disturbed. It's a figure of speech. No one is calling Mum a beast."

Lily crossed her arms. "It still wasn't nice."

"And it wasn't nice that you two were thinking about waking Mum. She needs her rest. If you guys need something, then you can come to me."

Lily and Albus looked at each other. Lily nodded.

Albus took a deep breath. "I got into a fight with Rose, and I was hoping Mum could give me some advice."

James smile happily. "A fight between cousins? I can handle that no problem." He leaned closer to the two of them. "Now, here's what you have to do..."

Albus listened, even as he shot glances down the hall where his mum was still sleeping. For some reason, James advice wasn't going to be that great.

And with the way Lily was eyeing James, as if he was crazy, she agreed. _'Mum, please wake up soon,'_ he silently prayed.


	5. Teddy's Job

**Title:** Teddy's Job  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Teddy Lupin, Harry Potter  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 570  
 **Summary:** Harry and Teddy have a disagreement.

 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry:** January Event - Appreciate a Dragon Day - 18. Write about someone other than Charlie working with dragons.

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt Challenge:** E4. Write a collection of at least 5 drabbles (300-1,000 words) with a specific theme (Potter family moments in the next-gen)

* * *

Teddy washed his hands even while his eyes strayed to the dragons that were in the distance. His boss had forced him to take a break, but all he wanted was to get back to work.

He heard steps and looked over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed at the sight of his godfather hesitantly walking towards him.

"Now my boss's insistence at me taking a break makes sense," he angrily muttered.

Harry still heard it, though, if his wince was anything to go by. "Yeah, I might have used my fame to get him to do that."

"I thought the Great Harry Potter didn't like using his fame," Teddy bitterly replied.

Harry's emerald eyes flashed. "I don't, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And if I was you, I'd watch your tone. No matter how angry you are, I am still your godfather."

"And _I'm_ an adult, nineteen-years-old, but you're still trying to treat me like an eleven-year-old that doesn't have a mind of his own."

Harry nodded. "You're right."

Teddy blinked. He hadn't been expecting an admission. He finally decided to turn around and fully face Harry. "Why are you here?"

"I reacted badly when you told me you decided to follow in your Uncle Charlie's footsteps and become a dragon handler."

"Yeah, you did. I'd expect that kind of reaction from Grandma Andy or Grandma Molly, but not you. Besides Charlie, you were the one person I thought would understand."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"You tried to forbid me from following my dream," Teddy continued, unable to let it go.

Harry nodded and repeated the same phrase. "I know, and I'm sorry."

Teddy asked the million dollar question. "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? Like you grandmas, all I could see was you getting hurt. Dragon handling is dangerous. No matter how much training you have, things happen. And you're like a son to me. If anything happened to James, Albus, or Lily, I wouldn't be able to deal with it. And the same goes for you. I kept imagining losing you, and I went ballistic. I had no right to tell you to not go after what you want, and I know that. You just have to understand my concerns."

Despite his righteous anger, Teddy felt himself softening at the real emotion in his godfather's eyes. "Okay, I guess I can understand, but you have a dangerous job."

"I'm not saying it wasn't hypocritical. I don't mind risking my own life, but I hate the idea of my kids risking _their_ lives."

Teddy crossed his arms. "So, what now?"

Harry scratched the back of his head. "I guess I get used to worrying about and _hope_ that you've been trained well enough."

"Uncle Charlie is training me," Teddy pointed out.

"Well, at least I know you've had the best," Harry breathed. "So, you forgive me for temporarily going insane?"

Teddy thought about how he'd feel if one of his children in the future wanted to do something dangerous. He was sure he'd probably react in a pretty similar way. "You're forgiven."

Harry walked all the way to him and pulled him into a hug.

Teddy tried to fight it; after all, it wasn't cool for a nineteen-year-old to be hugging his pseudo-father. He gave into the embrace, though, and returned the hug as fiercely as he was given it.

Some things, you just had to let happen.


End file.
